Judge orders mental evaluation for man in live-streamed homicide case
(Photo by Matthew Keys/Solano NewsNet)
A Solano County judge has suspended criminal proceedings against a man accused of double murder, the aftermath of which was captured on a gruesome social media live stream that he purportedly produced himself.
The suspension came after a public defender appointed to Raymond Weber, 29, raised concerns about the defendant’s competency to enter a plea in the case.
Acting on those concerns, Solano County Judge William Pendergast said the case against Weber will not move forward until a court-appointed doctor has the chance to conduct a thorough medical examination, which will include a test of the man’s mental fitness. Pendergast also re-assigned Weber’s case to another judge for future proceedings, who will hear the outcome of the medical evaluation at a forthcoming competency hearing.
Weber, who was shackled and surrounded by a half-dozen Solano County Sheriff’s deputies, did not speak during the hearing. Solano NewsNet was the only news organization inside the courtroom on Wednesday.
Weber was arrested by Vacaville police in late January after officers received a tip that he was live-streaming himself with a loaded firearm and the deceased bodies of two women. During the 30-minute video, Weber never acknowledged killing the victims, but he did say their deaths were retribution for an alleged setup involving his brother, Marcus Weber, and another individual.
The victims were later identified by authorities as 26-year-old Savannah Theberge of Utah and a 15-year-old girl from Elk Grove.
(Photo by Matthew Keys/Solano NewsNet)
In charging documents reviewed by Solano NewsNet, prosecutors allege Weber committed the murders while raping both women, with the homicides intended to prevent his arrest or capture.
Weber made his first court appearance on February 2. During that hearing, his attorney filed a motion seeking to block all media coverage of that court proceeding and future ones, arguing that the defendant's image had proliferated in sensationalistic news stories about the live stream and the murders in a way that might jeopardize his right to a fair trial.
“A continuation of media images of the defendant will continue to establish a record of negative pre-trial publicity, insuring that future prospective jurors form a negative opinion about the case and thus precluding a fair trial,” the motion read.
His defense attorney also argued that the countless newspaper articles and television stories on what he allegedly did could jeopardize his safety while he remains in jail.
“Further dissemination of his image in the news media and the printed press will continue to put his safety at risk while incarcerated,” his attorney argued.
The judge denied the motion.
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